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COMAL's new currency "the Unit of Solidarity Exchange" [Marcella Haddad]

Families who can’t afford their weekly food bill can get credit at COMAL-run community shops, where payment can be made in produce, in local currency or even in a special currency designed by COMAL called “UDIS”, which stands for “unit of solidarity exchange”.

With low-interest loans from COMAL, farmers are able to buy fertiliser and other products to grow their crops. Farmers’ incomes are increasing and low-income consumers are getting better prices.

Some shops use their profits to set up a health fund for the community or an education fund to provide scholarships for children.

Small businesses are helped with processing and marketing their produce. So far work has focused on sugar, organic coffee, wines and fertilisers, soap and shampoo, while the organic range of produce, ECOCOMAL, continues to grow.

More than 30,000 people are affiliated to COMAL's 46 member organisations.

Tackling trade issues
Almost 70% of Honduran communities sow maize and beans to survive but the farmers face impossible competition from heavily-subsidised imports of US maize and rice following the Free Trade Agreement.

COMAL lobbied strongly against the agreement and continues to co-ordinate with other organisations lobbying on trade issues in Mexico and Central and South America.

Trinidad Sanchez, COMAL director, explains: "We resisted the free trade treaty really strongly. We spoke with government negotiators and so on, but it was impossible. We couldn’t compete.

“COMAL had to change strategy. Now we promote internal production and consume our own produce. This is a big education campaign. It’s a big challenge, but we must take this challenge."

COMAL trains “popular educators” to make people aware of the issues and become politically involved, so the people can become truly self-sufficient.

Agriculture is a way of life
“Agriculture is more than a profession”, says Trinidad. “It’s a way of life, a cultural heritage passed on from father to son, mother to daughter.

"The closeness to plants and animals is part of the culture. You can’t change this quickly. It is a question of identity. We know we are capable of self-sufficiency. If we can produce and consume our own food, we have sovereignty.

Maize festival for harvest, Gracias, Lempira [Marcella Haddad]

“If you want to change your culture go and eat in Pizza Hut or McDonalds. Culture goes in through your mouth, you consume it.”

He is also concerned about the impact that genetically modified imports are having on the nation’s health.

"There are parts of the country where children know nothing about maize. They receive ready-made tortillas imported from factories in Mexico, made with genetically modified ingredients. We want to encourage people to produce maize in their own communities"

He admits that it is difficult because young people are attracted to modern ideas and tend to move away from the traditional. “We have to convince them that this is important for the economy of the country”, he says.

Putting people first
Edith Villanueva is coordinator of one of COMAL’s regional committees and a founder member of COMUCAP (the coordinator of Rural Women in La Paz), and helps organise trade fairs in Honduras’ two main cities (Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula) to sell and promote products and improve profitability.

"We help producers organise themselves and the trade fairs usually have a political theme. The focus this time is an agreement between Honduras and the European Union to make sure it benefits Honduran producers.

"The Free Trade Agreement should not only benefit big transnationals - human beings and their needs should be placed at the centre of it.

"Agriculture is not just commerce. It has to do with the basic need of feeding the population and sovereignty of the country, our identity and culture, protection of natural resources, not privatising public services."

More about COMAL

Honduras on red alert following floods Hopes of an end to the devastating floods in Honduras have been crushed as many parts of the country are once again on red alert	Protecting Honduran farmers Honduran farmers face strong competition from heavily-subsidised US imports due to the Free Trade Agreement. Our partner COMAL works with local producers and lobbies on trade issues	Food for thought in Honduras Constantino Martinez and his family no longer have to go without the food they need, thanks to credit from community shops set up by CAFOD partner COMAL
Turning oranges into wine An orange-wine making cooperative supported by CAFOD partner COMAL is improving the lives of its members and bringing new opportunities for their children.	Cooperative cashes in When Ilaria Garcia and her family lost all their crops during Hurricane Mitch in 1999, COMUCAP was on hand to help. Now Ilaria Garcia is member of a shampoo and soap making cooperative.

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